Methods, apparatuses, and systems consistent with the present invention relate to measured sleep alarm signaling.
Conventional devices for awakening a person, such as alarm clocks, produce an audible alarm at a predetermined time (e.g. at 7:00 AM). However, such conventional alarm clocks are problematic since, among other disadvantages, they always awaken a person at a predetermined time (e.g. at 7:00 AM) regardless of the person's state of sleep at the predetermined time, and regardless of the amount of time the person actually slept (e.g., perhaps the person was in bed for ten hours, but only got two hours of actual sleep).
On the other hand, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/990,456 (U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2011/0291842, filed Nov. 14, 2008, entitled APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR A PHYSIOLOGICAL ALARM, hereinafter referred to as “the '456 application”), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a physiological alarm for awakening a sleeping person based on the person's state of sleep. Specifically, the '456 application describes a physiological alarm, wherein a person sets a range of time during which the person desires to awake and the alarm device monitors the person's sleep state and activates the alarm based on the state of the person's sleep.
In other words, the alarm sounds within a preset time range (e.g., between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM), but at a time when the person is detected to be in a light stage of sleep. By awakening the person while in a light stage of sleep, the person is less likely to awake in a state of confusion and disorientation and a better overall awakening experience for the person is provided.
However, there is a need for an alarm which awakens a sleeping person after the person has actually gotten a predetermined amount of measured sleep (e.g., after eight hours of actual sleep), as opposed to simply awakening the person within a preset time range.
For example, even using the alarm in the '456 application, a person would be awakened within the preset time range (e.g., between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM) regardless of whether or not the person ever actually fell asleep. Thus, there is a need for an alarm which would provide the person with the option of being woken up later than the preset time range, if desired, to ensure that a predetermined amount sleep had been measured.
Conversely, even using the alarm in the '456 application, it is possible that the person could sleep the desired amount before the preset time range is reached. Thus, there is a need for alarm which would provide the person with the option of being woken up earlier than a preset time range, if desired, so that time is not spent unnecessarily continuing to sleep after a suitable amount of sleep has already been obtained.